Low-temperature Scanning Probe Microscope Controller upgrade for multimodal 2D materials investigation

用于多模态二维材料研究的低温扫描探针显微镜控制器升级

• 批准号: RTI-2021-00318
• 负责人: Burke, Sarah
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=717996
• 关键词: Low; temperature; Scanning; Probe; Microscope

Two recent developments in the area of 2-dimensional materials have exploded the materials phase space of these materials and heterostructures: 1) the discovery that many “layered” materials can be exfoliated in a manner similar to graphene, and 2) the discovery that small twist angles between layers can give rise to rich electronic phase diagrams by quenching kinetic energy of the electrons down to interaction scales. From this vast 2D materials space, there have been observations and predictions of unique optical properties, topological behavior, superconductivity and more. As the 2D nature of these materials and devices naturally integrates into our existing 2D lithographic platforms for electronic and photonic devices, there is substantial interest in both exploring the exciting physics of these materials, as well as pushing these materials forwards into applications like quantum information and sensing. Here, we request a controller upgrade for an existing low-temperature scanning probe microscope (SPM) with already integrated optical spectroscopy capabilities, in order to study the optoelectronic emission characteristics and electronic scattering properties of defects in 2D materials. This upgrade is necessary both to support the ongoing state-of-the-art work this instrument is capable of due to an aging controller system, as well as support novel integrated device-centered measurements of 2D materials. The new controller will enable greater measurement flexibility, integration of external hardware, such as the optical spectrometer used for tunneling luminescence measurements, and allow optimization of signal to noise for spatially resolved tunneling spectroscopy measurements used to determine the local density of states and quasiparticle interference measurements (QPI). These capabilities will allow us to investigate single defect quantum emitter states to elucidate the identity of the emission centers, emission processes, and interaction with bulk states. The improved QPI capabilities will also allow us to investigate interaction and topologically driven selection rules in defect scattering, probing both the fundamental physics of the electrons in these materials and connecting to bulk properties like resistance and magnetoresistance. These measurements require high stability instrumentation and integration with external measurements; the requested controller will ensure that these needs are met by upgrading the existing electronics and software to enhance the capabilities of the existing, robust base hardware representing a ~$1M asset. Our ability to identify individual defects, and probe the electronic states, structure, and sub-nm resolved optical properties, as well as control the underlying electronic states through fabrication and gating, will allow us to to explore and engineer new quantum emitters and novel electronic materials and integrate them into device platforms for future technologies.

二维材料领域的两个最新进展已经打破了这些材料和异质结构的材料相空间：1)发现许多“层状”材料可以以类似于石墨烯的方式剥离；2)发现层之间的小扭角可以通过将电子的动能淬灭到相互作用的尺度来产生丰富的电子相图。从这个巨大的2D材料空间，人们已经观察到并预测了独特的光学性质、拓扑行为、超导电性等。随着这些材料和设备的2D性质自然地集成到我们现有的用于电子和光子设备的2D光刻平台中，人们对探索这些材料的令人兴奋的物理以及推动这些材料向前发展到量子信息和传感等应用领域都有很大的兴趣。 在此，我们要求对现有的具有集成光谱功能的低温扫描探针显微镜(SPM)进行控制器升级，以研究2D材料中缺陷的光电发射特性和电子散射特性。这一升级是必要的，既是为了支持该仪器由于控制器系统老化而能够进行的持续最先进的工作，也是为了支持对2D材料进行以设备为中心的新型集成测量。新的控制器将实现更大的测量灵活性，集成外部硬件，如用于隧道发光测量的光学光谱仪，并允许优化用于确定局部态密度和准粒子干涉测量(QPI)的空间分辨隧道光谱测量的信噪比。这些能力将使我们能够研究单缺陷量子发射态，以阐明发射中心的身份、发射过程以及与体态的相互作用。改进的QPI能力还将使我们能够研究缺陷散射中的相互作用和拓扑驱动的选择规则，探索这些材料中电子的基本物理，并与电阻和磁阻等体属性有关。这些测量需要高稳定性的仪器和与外部测量的集成；所请求的控制器将通过升级现有电子设备和软件以增强现有、坚固的基础硬件的能力来确保满足这些需求，该硬件代表约100万美元的资产。 我们能够识别单个缺陷，探测电子态、结构和亚纳米分辨的光学性质，并通过制造和选通控制潜在的电子态，这将使我们能够探索和设计新的量子发射器和新型电子材料，并将它们集成到未来技术的设备平台中。